Analysis: Genre

Drama, Tragicomedy

Well, the play is definitely a drama, because, you know...it's a play, a piece of literature meant to be spoken by actors in front a live audience. We also think it qualifies as a tragicomedy. Ionesco actually labeled it a tragic farce, which is pretty much the same thing. The play has elements of both comedy and tragedy. It manages to be hilarious and horrific at the same time. Check out our "Booker's Seven Basic Plots" analysis for a discussion of how the play is also both comic and tragic in terms of plot structure.